What would happen if: Chemical bombs hit London?

Back in March 1988 the Iran-Iraq war was coming to an end. The Iraqi government, in an act of the upmost brutality, unleashed what is to date the most horrific chemical attack on a civilian population, killing thousands of Kurdish civilians in Halabja.

Although the political situation there was far removed from what we experience in the UK, the threat of terrorist attacks will always carry a fear of rural chemical warfare.

The likely target for a chemical attack would be in central London, home of our financial and political institutions, as this is where the most disruption could be caused. It is unlikely that a terrorist force would be able to fly a plane over the capital without having it blown from the sky, therefore car bombs fitted with chemical agents could be the most likely form of attack.

Advertisement

Such an attack would render the area of the attack uninhabitable for at least five years, with the possibility of longer-term contamination. It would be difficult to assume any large organisation would want to return to central London, nor anyone else.

Property prices in the area would plummet and financial institutions would regroup in less volatile areas, such as the North of England. It could have a positive impact on redistributing wealth in our country. No company would want to set up in this highly volatile area and many people would remain ill and traumatised for considerable time, causing long term medical expense for London and Londoners.

Read next

Monday briefing: India's BJP is reportedly exploiting a state smartphone programme to target political campaigns

ByWIRED

How to surviveDuring the attack itself, quick thinking would be essential. Our own bodily fluids would become life-saving liquids -- urine on cotton handkerchiefs would come in very useful as a makeshift anti-chemical mask. Urine contains ammonia that can help neutralise chemical gasses such as chlorine.

We would have to move very quickly to get under cover and away from the attack. It's likely that anyone close to the epicentre would simply not survive due to the higher concentration of gas. Wind helps to carry gas, so ideally those able to would have to get upwind of where the gas was being released.

They could do worse than to head towards the nearest hairdresser or chemist, lock themselves in, seal the windows and doors, and pour a small amount of the hydrogen peroxide (which would be in rich supply) into a bowl. Then spit in it. Sounds very odd, yes. But saliva reacts with the peroxide and will create oxygen, which could help replenish any lost in the atmosphere.

Advertisement

Eventually the authorities would rescue members of the public who sat tight and avoided as much of the gas as possible. Those that did survive would not get off lightly however, and may suffer from a whole list of illnesses including respiratory effects, blindness, various cancers, infertility and mental disorders.